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Considerations should be made for your dog and anyone else’s dog, for that matter, the next time you decide to take advantage of the warm sunny weather and have a barbecue in your backyard. Most social gatherings amongst family and friends are planned and take place without one single thought being given to providing an atmosphere of enjoyment for both people and dogs.

It is possible for everyone to have a good time and while you are chatting with friends, enjoying a drink and a juicy hamburger on the deck, your pup could be just around the corner having the time of his life running around acting crazy with the pets of other guests.

Your event will appeal to everyone when you tell them they do not have to leave their beloved pets at home alone while they go out to enjoy themselves but to bring the welcome animals along with them to join in the fun. So prior to your next backyard barbecue, take time to give some careful thought to include the pets in events of the day.

Plan For Success

The trend for backyard parties, according to the Hearth Patio and BBQ Association, has expanded into a $55 billion dollar industry each year. Houses are somewhat smaller than they used to be and more people are looking to their gardens for fun and relaxation at home. Picnic tables, lawn chairs and cooking facilities have been designed to take the indoor party to the outdoors.

You need to bear in mind that not everyone wants a dog jumping onto their lap marking their clothes with paw prints just to beg for a bit of food. This sort of behavior can ruin the party mood, drinks get spilled and the whole thing gets out of hand.

It is, therefore, a good idea to subtly separate the guests with dogs from those without. Have a good selection of new toys in the dogs allowed section of your party. Some of the guests without dogs but not against being close to them may even come and join in with a tug of war game.

It’s a good idea to provide a common area for both dogs and guests. A fenced in enclosure where the dogs can play to their hearts content without affecting the guests is always useful. This keeps the party in harmonious order as the dog lovers who would rather take a break from mingling with the other guests can jump on over to the dog section and everyone is happy.

You should also consider the seating plan of the party. The dogs need to be secured in an area where they can see their owners enjoying the feast. Even if they are not allowed near the food, they like to see what is going on.

If your event is to take place during the hours of darkness, you should make sure the animals are not allowed to run free unless they have a small flashlight attached to their collars. This enables you and your guests to see them coming so they will not accidentally step on the tail or paws of the dog. As an alternative a little bell that jingles also attached to the collar would warn people that the dog is approaching them.